Beer coil cleaner



Sept. 7, 1937. G, A LEWIS 2,092,257

BEER COIL CLEANER Original Filed Oct. 21, 1933 iii n, :if f5 d KEE/ (79W6A, zz

Inventar www Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNiTED STATES ATE GFFMJE Reiiled forabandoned application Serial No. 694,572, October 21, 1933.

This application August 14, 1935, Serial No. 36,075

5 Claims.

This invention relates to beer coil cleaners.

This application is a substitute for the applicants allowed andforfeited application Ser, No.

694,572 filed October 21, 1933, and allowed April It is an object ofthis invention to provide an improved beer coil cleaner which isrelatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efflcient in use.

Another object of this invention is: to provide an improved coil cleanerby means of which a simple cleansing fluid such as water, and a chemicaland fungicidal cleansing uid such as that hereinafter referred to, maybe circulated through beer cooling coils in the order named.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method forcleansing and washing beer cooling coils and by means of which methodthe growth of fungi in the coils may be prevented or at least materiallyretarded.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, showing a preferred form of construction of the new apparatusand in which:

The single figure in the drawing is, in general, diagrammatic and showsthe preferrred arrangement of parts in the new apparatus.

Bacteria or fungus growths in beer cooling coils consist largely ofmoulds from the yeast used in making beer, acetic acid bacteria, andalbumen. These substances accumulate or grow quite rapidly in beer.cooling coils, making it necessary to clean or flush the coilsperiodically, otherwise the accumulation in the coils will spoil thetaste of the beer and cause it to taste bitter. It' is to prevent thisthat the' present apparatus and method have beenV designed.

To this end' the new coil cleansing apparatus, generally indicated at lin the drawing, is provided. This apparatus is arranged within asuitable portable cabinet or4 case Il and comprises a fluid pressurepump i2, which may be ofA any suitable or conventional design, and whichis driven by an electric motor 9 of any desired or suitable type. Acontrol switch I'3 is provided for the circuit to the motor 9, and aconnecter ill is provided forattachment to av source of current such asa wall outlet. An indicator or tell-tale light l is provided in themotor circuit in front'of the switch i3'.

The iiuidV pressure pump I2 has a fluid intake sideV Ill and a fluiddischarge side I6. Connected tothe discharge side I6 of the pump l2 is asight glass IB throughl which the outgoing iluid circulates afterpassing from the pump I2. A flexible intake conduit or hose 2ileads to achemical tankl 2i which is arranged on the intake side Il of the pumpl2. A pressure gauge is arranged on the outlet or discharge side of thepump between the sight glass i8 and a flexible discharge hose i9.

The intake side il of the piunp i2 leads to the chemical tank 2l whichhas an open top over which is arranged a detachable closure 22. Thistank 2i has an inlet 23 to which the flexible rubber hose or conduit 2His attached.

A by-pass .'25 is provided between the intake and outlet sides Il andI6, respectively, of the pump l2 and a control or shut-olf valve i2 isarranged in this by-pass.

A conventional two coil draft beer cooling unit is generally indicatedat 28 in the drawing and includes two Cooling coils 2l and 28 which arearranged within a suitable ice box or cooling chamber 25. To theuppermost convolution of the coil 2l is attached a faucet 3B and afaucet 3i is attached to the uppermost convolution of the coil 28.

The lowermost convolution of the coil 21 is connected to a conventionalflexible conduit 32 which may be a rubber hose or a flexible tin tubing.This conduit 3?. is ordinarily connected (in dotted line position) to aconventional so-called beer rod which is generally indicated at 43. Thisso-called rod 43 projects into the beer barrel 33 and has an air intake44. Similarly, the lowermost convolution of the coil 28 is connected toa flexible conduit 3ft that is similar to the conduit 32 and thisconduit 3l! is in turn coni nected to a beer rod l5 which is similar tothe rod 43; the beer rod d5 extending into a beer barrel or container35.

interconnecting the two flexible conduits 32 and 34 is a coupling 38.

A short piece of rubber hose or tubing is indicated at lli in thedrawing and a source of water under pressure is indicated at fil. l

Arranged at the outer end of the intake hose 24 or conduit is aconnecter 36 by means of which the hose 2E, may be attached, as will beset forth hereinafter, either to the beer faucet 3l or to the watersupply faucet lll. Attached to this connecter 36 is a gas pressurerelief cock or valve 3l.

Operation To institute the coil cleansing and washing operation theconnecter 3S on the intake hose or conduit 24 is attached to the source6! of water under pressure; the conductor I4 is attached to an electricwall outlet or like source of current; the drain hose 4d is attached tothe beer faucet 3i; the by-pass valve 42 is closed; the flexibleconduits 32 and 34 are detached from the beer rods i3 and 45 and theseconduits 32 and 34 are then connected by the coupling 33. During thisoperation the valves 46 in the beer rods 43 and 45 are, of course, shutoff. The motor control switch i3 is then closed to set the motor 9 andits associated pump i2 in operation, whereupon water from the pressuresupply source fil is led through the flexible intake hose or conduit 24,into and through the tank 2l and thence into the pump l2 through theintake side il thereof. The pump l2 then forces the Water through thedischarge or outlet side l@ thereof, through the sight glass i8, intothe conduit i9; thence through the beer faucet 3Q, coil 2l, conduit 32,coupling 38 and conduit 3Q; through the coil 23 and faucet 3l, outthrough the drain hose 43 to the sewer. This flow of water is kept upfor suitable length of time to flush the beer cooling coils 2l and 28thoroughly, whereupon the water supply is shut off at 4l, and the motorat i3, leaving 'the coils 2l and 28 full of water.

During this operation the tell-tale light i8 is illuminated and helps toilluminate the casing ll and the sight glass i8 so that the fluid flow Ithrough the glass may readily be observed.

The drain hose. il@ is then detached from the beer faucet 3l and thehose 2li is attached to' the faucet 3l by means of connecter 36, in themanner shown in full lines in the drawing.

The closure 22 is then removed from the chemical tank 2l. An alkalinechemical cleansing and fungicidal charge or solution is then introducedinto the tank 2l and the closure 22 therefor replaced. The motor controlswitch I3 is then closed to set the motor 9 and the pump l2 in operationwhereupon the chemical cleansing and fungicidal solution in the tank 2|is drawn out of the tank 2l by way of the pump in-v take il, thencethrough the pump l2, out of the latter by way of its discharge side i6,and thence through the circuit l9-2-2l-32H31- 34- 23-3l-33 and 24 backinto the tank 2l.. This circulation of the chemical cleansing andfungicidal solution through the coils 2l and 28 is kept up for asuitable length of time, at a preferred rate of about three gallons perminute, whereupon the pressure relief valve 37 is opened to permit theescape of gas formed in the system by action of the chemical cleansingagent, as will be pointed out more fully hereinafter. The parts are thenrinsed by attaching the flexible conduit 2li to the water supply 4l,attaching the drain hose 4t* to the faucet 3|, and then circulatingrinsing water through the system, which includes the coils 2l' and 28,for a suitable length of time until the rinse water is neutral to analkali indicator.

After the washing and rinsing operations, the motor 9 is shut off, thedrain hose 40 is detached from the beer faucet 3l, the flexible conduit24 is detached from the water supply 4i the conduit i9 is detached fromthe beer faucet 35, and the conduits 32 and 34 are separated at thecoupling 38 and reattached to the beer rods 43 and 45 so that beer maybe drawn from the barrels 33 and 35 as desired.

To cleanse a single beer cooling coil by means of water, using thepresent apparatus, the intake side i7 of pump is connected to the watersupply 4l by means of the conduit Z4 and the conduit i9 is attached tothe uppermost convolution of the coil; and to cleanse a single coil withthe chemical cleansing and fungicidal solution, hereinafter referred to,the conduit i9 is attached to the uppermost convolution of the singlecoil and the conduit 24 is attached to the lowerrnost con- Volutionsthereof, whereupon the motor 9 is set in operation to circulate thecleansing fluid through the single coil.

While the chemical tank 2l may be charged with chemical cleansing agentsor fungicides, other than that presently to be referred. to, a preferredcomposition for this purpose is a mixture or solution of aluminumsilicate or meta-silicate and sodium hydroxide, which forms, in effect,a fluid silicate. While this substance Will flow freely through thecooling coils, under pressure, it nevertheless exerts considerablefriction against the walls of the coils and very effectively tears downand emulsies the fungus growths and other .accumulations in the coolingcoils. Moreover, it forms or deposits on the insides of the coils asilicate lm which hardens and is very effective in preventing fungus orlike. growths in the beer cooling coils. Furthermore, when this alkalinesilicate mixture is introduced into the cooling coils it apparentlyreacts in the mixture of water and substance that accumulate in thecoils, since a Very considerable amount of gas is formed during thechemical cleansing operation. Often this gas will form as much as 40lbs. of pressure in the system, which helps to circulate the chemicalcleansing agent therethrough and lightens the load on the pump. It is topermit the escape of this gas, before opening the system after thechemical cleansing operation, that the relief valve 37 is provided.

In cases where the pressure of the water at the source 4l issufficiently high, the operator may rinse the cooling coils withoutusing the pump l2 and without running the motor 9. This may beaccomplished by opening the bypass valve 42, attaching the hose 24 towater source 4l, attaching the drain hose 4D to the faucet 3l andattaching the hose i9 to the faucet 30 whereupon the rinse water willcirculate through the system by way of the by-pass 25 and its Valve 42.This effects economy in the use of the apparatus since it permits theoperator to cut out'the motor and thereby eliminate the expense'of itscurrent consumption when the municipal Water supply pressure issufficiently high.

It is a decided advantage to have the combination of elements `formingthe apparatus assembled into a portable unit since by this arrangementone operator may service a large number of beer cooling units, each ofwhich is preferably serviced about once each Week.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capableofVariation and modification, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

l. A beer coil cleaning unit comprising a portable casing havingarranged therein a circulating pump with input and output ports, a tankfor cleansing chemicals, a conduit connecting said tank with said inputport and providing a support for the tank, a conduit connected with saidoutput port and through valve means with said first-mentioned conduit,the said output conduit having a sight glass connected thereto andsupported thereby and the said sight glass having a fitting for couplingto a cleansing line, the said cleansing tank likewise having a couplingfor connection with a cleansing line whereby fluid may be circulated bysaid pump through said tank, said sight glass and said cleansing lines.

2. A portable device for cleansing and washing beer coils and the likecomprising a portable casing having arranged therein a pump, a tank forcleansing chemicals, a conduit connecting said tank and pump and forminga support for the tank, a second conduit connected to said pump and to asight glass, the latter being supported by said connection with saidconduit in a position for ready inspection in said casing, and having aiitting including a pressure gauge, and means for coupling said sightglass and conduit with a cleansing line, and said tank having means forcoupling with a second cleansing line.

3. A portable beer coil cleansing unit comprising a cabinet, a pumparranged within the cabinet and having input and output ports, a tankhaving a removable closure and means for coupling said tank with acleansing line, conduit means connecting said input port in circuit withsaid output port, valve means for shutting oi the circuit between saidports through said conduit means, said tank being connected to andsupported by said conduit means between said valve means and said inputport, a sight glass connected to and supported by said conduit meansbetween said Valve means and said output port, said sight glass having afitting including a pressure gauge and adapted for connection with asecond cleansing line and being disposedin a position in said cabinetaccessible for ready inspection.

4. A device for cleansing pipe lines and the like, said devicecomprising a cabinet, a powerdriven pump arranged within said cabinetand having input and output ports, a tank for cleansing chemicals, meanson said tank for coupling engagement with a rst cleansing line, aconduit connecting said tank and pump and supporting the tank within thecabinet, a sight glass, a conduit connecting said sight glass with saidpump and forming a support for the glass, a fitting connected with saidglass and adapted for coupling engagement with a second cleansing line,said first and second cleansing lines being adapted for connection witha pipe line to be cleansed in such manner that uid may be circulated bysaid pump through said several cleansing lines, said pipe line, saidtank and said sight glass.

5. A portable device for cleansing pipe lines and the like, said devicecomprising a portable cabinet, a pump arranged within said cabinet andhaving input and output ports, conduit means interconnecting said portsand including valve means for closing oli said interconnection, a tankfor cleansing chemicals and having a connection with said conduit meansbetween said input port and said Valve means, said connection alsoserving to support said tank and the latter having means for couplingengagement with a rst cleansing conduit, a sight glass having aconnection with said conduit means between said output port and saidvalve means, said connection serving to support said sight glass and thelatter having a pressure gauge operably supported thereby and connectedtherewith and having means for coupling engagement with a secondcleansing conduit, the said cleansing conduits being adapted forconnection with a pipe line to be cleansed whereby cleansing fluid maybe circulated through said pipe line, said tank and said sight glass.

GEORGE A. LEWIS.

